WISCONSIN’S  EDUCATIONAL  HORIZON  Vol.  4,  No.  4,  pt.2 


Entered  as  second-class  matter  May  15,  1919,  at  Post  Office  at  Madison.  Wis- 
consin, under  the  Act  of  August  24,  1912 


State  and  Local  Administration 
of  Continuation  Schools 

BY 

EDWARD  A.  FITZPATRICK 
Secretary  of  State  Board  of  Education 


The  Continuation  Schools  of  Wisconsin 
Vocational  School  Survey- 
Chapters  V — Part  2.  VI 


STATE  BOARD  OF  EDUCATION  MADISON,  WIS.,  APRIL,  1922 


UNITY  THROUGH  COOPERATION 


WISCONSIN’S  EDUCATIONAL  HORIZON 

EDWARD  A.  FITZPATRICK,  Editor 


Issued  bi-monthly  by  Wisconsin  State  Board  of  Education,  Madison,  Wisconsin 


WISCONSIN  STATE  BOARD  OF  EDUCATION 

Herman  Grotophorst,  President  John  H.  McQuaid 

Edward  J.  Dempsey,  Vice  President  Harley  Nickerson 

John  J.  Blaine  John  W.  Salter 

John  Callahan  Ellen  C.  Sabin 

Theodore  M.  Hammond  F.  J.  Sensenbrenner 

Edward  A Fitzpatrick,  Jennie  McMullin  Turner  George  H.  Landgraf, 

Secretary  and  Statistician  Research  Assistant  Field  Organizer 


I. 

II. 

III. 

IV. 


V. 

VI. 

VII. 

VIII. 
IX. 

X. 


XI. 

XII. 

XIII. 

XIV. 

XV. 

XVI. 


XVII. 

XVIII. 

XIX. 


THE  CONTINUATION  SCHOOLS  OF  WISCONSIN 
Vocational  School  Survey 

THE  CONTINUATION  SCHOOLS  OF  WISCONSIN 
Vocational  School  Survey 

Introduction 

The  Genesis  and  Purpose  of  the  Survey. 

The  1911  Report  on  Industrial  and  Agricultural  Training. 

The  History  of  Vocational  Training  in  Wisconsin. 

The  Present  Situation  in  the  Wisconsin  Continuation  Schools — An  Inven* 
tory  Description  of  the  Work  in  each  of  the  Continuation  School  Cities. 
The  State  Administration. 

Local  Administration  (Local  Boards  of  Industrial  Education). 

Financing  the  Continuation  Schools: — A.  Local  Finance;  B.  State  Aid;  C. 

Federal  Aid. 

Child  Accounting. 

Fundamentals  of  a Course  of  Study. 

Special  Subjects:  1.  The  Assembly;  2.  Physical  Education  and  Personal 
Hygiene;  3.  General  Science;  4.  English;  5.  Civics  (Safety  and  Indus* 
trial  Laws);  6.  Choice  of  Occupations;  7.  Occupational  Training:  Boys; 
8.  Occupational  Training;  Girls;  9.  Commercial  Education. 

Suggested  Programs. 

The  Teacher  Problem  (State  Certification). 

The  Director. 

Apprenticeship. 

Scholarships  in  Continuation  School. 

Adult  Education  in  Wisconsin: — 

Part  I.  The  Present  Situation. 

1.  The  Background. 

2.  The  Two  Public  Agencies  of  Adult  Education. 

3.  Some  Problems  of  the  Present  Program  of  Adult  Educa- 

tion. 

Part  II.  Incipient  Educational  Movements. 

Part  III.  The  Basis  of  Adult  Education. 

Part  IV.  Construction  Recommendations. 

1.  Pedagogical. 

2.  Organization. 

a.  The  Continuation  School — The  Agency  of  Adult 

Education. 

b.  A Public  Valparaiso. 

Technical  and  Trade  Training  through  Continuation  School. 

Rehabilitation  of  Industrially  Handicapped. 

Program  for  Continuation  Schools  of  Wisconsin. 


2TTV 


f 5^5 


STATE  SUPERVISION  OF  VOCATIONAL  SCHOOLS 

CHAPTER  V. 

State  Administration 

PART  2* 


§ I.  The  State  Board  of  Vocational  Education 

We  have  discussed  in  the  first  section  of  this  chapter  the  need  for  a rep- 
resentative cooperative  educational  board  to  be  in  charge  of  the  administra- 
tion, development,  and  supervision  of  continuation  and  vocational  education, 
as  the  program  was  proposed  in  this  State.  It  was  found  that  such  a Board 
was  a long-time  need  in  our  educational  policy. 

In  Chapter  III  we  have  discussed  the  legislative  history  of  the  State  Board 
of  Vocational  Education.  In  this  connection  we  are  interested  in  it  as  an 
agency  -of  supervision. 


The  Original  State  Board  of  Industrial  Education 


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1 


The  original  board  of  industrial  education  was  well  constituted  for  the 
purpose  of  state  supervision.  The  lay  element  was  predominant  through  the 
employer  and  employee  members  of  the  Board.  The  three  ex-officio  mem- 
bers furnished  important  connections  with  the  regular  educational  system. 
The  State  Superintendent  of  Public  Instruction  was  to  be  the  liason  officer 
with  the  regular  public  school  system;  the  Dean  of  the  University  Extension 
Department  was  to  be  the  liason  officer  with  all  the  efforts  of  the  educa- 
tional system  th-rough  the  University  to  meet  the  needs  of  adults  desiring 
instruction  of  various  grades.  The  Dean  of  the  College  of  Engineering  was 
to  be  the  liason  officer  with  the  highly  technical  aspects  of  our  educational 
system.  All  three  connections  were  highly  desirable  and  important  in  a co- 
operative development  of  vocational  and  continuation  school  education, 
particularly  in  the  early  period  of  development  of  the  movement. 

The  total  disregard  of  the  State  Board  of  Vocational  Education  by  State 
Superintendent  Cary  created  an  atmosphere  that  was  not  conducive  to  a 
real  development  of  the  continuation  schools.  The  bringing  to  bear  of  the 
points  of  view  of  the  Extension  Division  and  technical  training  through  the 
Engineering  College  did  not  materialize  to  the  degree  that  was  expected. 
This,  we  believe,  was  largely  due  to  the  conflict  that  existed. 


The  Reconstituted  Board  of  1917 

In  the  legislation  of  1917,  reconstituting  the  State  Board  of  Industrial  Edu- 
cation, and  changing  the  word  “industrial”  in  the  title  of  the  Board  to  “voca- 


* Part  1 of  this  chapter  is  printed  in  a separate  bulletin  under  the  title 
“Dual  Control  in  Wisconsin.” 


r54219 


4 


ADMINISTRATION  OF  CONTINUATION  SCHOOLS 


tional,”  the  Dean  of  the  University  Extension  and  the  head  of  the  College 
of  Engineering  were  not  included  in  the  new  board.  Under  the  new  law, 
which  gave  to  the  State  Board  of  Vocational  Education  the  supervision  of 
vocational  agricultural  work  of  the  State,  it  was  necessary  to  add  three 
farmers  to  the  board  to  bring  to  bear  upon  the  problems  of  agricultural  edu- 
cation the  views  of  the  farmers.  It  was  felt  at  the  time  that  with  this  increase 
in  the  size  of  the  board  the  continuance  of  the  two  Deans  would  make  the 
board  unwieldy.  It  was  felt,  too,  that  the  cooperation  of  these  two  University 
officers  could  be  secured  just  as  well  without  membership  on  the  board  as 
through  membership  on  the  board.  The  fact,  too,  that  the  State  Superin- 
tendent of  Schools,  who  was  opposed  to  the  vocational  education  program  as 
administered  through  the  board,  was  a member  of  the  Board  of  University 
Regents  and  Chairman  of  the  Extension  Committee,  made  an  uncomfortable 
situation  for  the  Dean  of  University  Extension  to  act  on  the  board. 

The  new  board  as  reconstituted  consisted  of  three  farmers,  three  employers, 
three  employees,  the  State  Superintendent  of  Public  Instruction,  and  a mem- 
ber of  the  Industrial  Commission  chosen  by  the  Commission.  The  addition 
of  this  member  was  a distinctly  new  departure  in  this  legislation.  The  pur- 
pose was  to  bring  into  direct  relationship  with  the  Vocational  Board  the 
great  administrative  agency  of  the  State  dealing  with  industrial  relations, 
thus  bringing  to  bear  upon  the  problems  of  industrial  education  the  point 
of  view  of  a public  authority  dealing  with  industrial  relations.  This  is  in 
conformity  with  the  general  view  that  boards  of  education  should  be  made  up 
of  lay  members  rather  than  educational  experts.  If  this  principle  is  followed 
later  when  the  work  of  vocational  agricultural  education  really  makes  im- 
portant advances  the  Commissioner  of  Agriculture  should  very  properly  be 
added  to  the  board. 

The  board  as  thus  constituted  consists  of  eleven  members.  It  has  never 
seemed  to  me  a fatal  objection  to  a board  that  it  was  large.  In  fact,  one 
of  the  strong  arguments  in  favor  of  a board  as  against  a single  officer  is 
that  more  points  of  view  can  be  expressed  with  different  sources  of  sugges- 
tion from  the  community  can  be  brought  to  bear  upon  educational  problems. 
And  this  same  reasoning  applies  to  smaller  as  compared  with  larger  boards. 
At  some  point  a board  becomes  unwieldy,  dissipates  time  in  oratory,  and 
does  not  develop  the  real  virtues  of  conference.  When  the  size  of  a board 
exceeds  fifteen,  these  dangers  are  likely  to  develop. 


The  Personnel  of  the  Board 

♦The  personnel  of  the  boards  will  show  the  representative  character  of  the 
State  Board.  The  facts  are  given  in  Table  No.  1. 

Table  No.  1.  PERSONNEL  OF  STATE  ADMINISTRATIVE  AGENCY 
State  Board  of  Industrial  Education  1911-1917 


Employer 

H.  E.  Miles,  Racine .1911—1917 

A.  S.  Lindeman,  Milwaukee 1911 — 1917 

E.  J.  Kearney,  Milwaukee 1917 

Eli  E.  Winch,  Marshfield 1911—1914 

E.  W.  Schultz,  Sheboygan 1914—1917 


ADMINISTRATION  OF  CONTINUATION  SCHOOLS' 


a 


Employee 

Murt  Malone,  Oshkosh 1911 — 1917 

Oliver  Ellsworth,  Oshkosh 1917 

W.  N.  Miller,  Eau  Claire 1911—1917 

Donna  Dines,  Milwaukee .....1911 — 1914 

Frank  L.  Clarke,  Madison.  .. 1914 — 1917 

Ex  Officio 

L.  E.  Reber,  Dean  University  Extension 1911 — 1917 

F.  E.  Turneaure,  Dean  Engineering  College,  University  of 

Wisconsin  1911 — 1917 

C.  P.  Cary,  State  Supt.  of  Schools 1911 — 1917 


State  Board  of  Vocational  Education  1917 — 


Employers 

E.  W.  Schultz 1917—1925 

Robert  S.  Cooper  1917 — 1927 

E.  J.  Kearney  1917' — 1923 

Employes 

John  H.  McQuaid,  Milwaukee... 1917 — 1927 

A.  W.  McTaggert,  Superior 1917 — 1925 

Oliver  Ellsworth,  Oshkosh  .1917 — 1923 

Farmers 

George  F.  Comings  1917 — 1927 

Miles  Hineman  „ 1917 — 1923 

C.  E.  Hanson  l .....1917 — 1919 

F.  W.  Ploetz  1919—1925 

Ex  Officio 

Thomas  F.  Konop,  Member  of  Industrial  Commission 1917 — 1921 

L.  A.  Tarrell,  Member  of  Industrial  Commission 1921 — 

C.  P.  Cary,  State  Superintendent  1917 — 1921 

John  Callahan  1921 — 


The  Problem  of  Supervision  of  Schools 

The  principal  problem  before  the  State  administrative  authorities  was 
the  reclaiming  educationally  of  all  children  who  had  gone  into  industry  over 
fourteen  and  up  to  sixteen,  and  by  legislation  in  1921  up  to  eighteen,  so  that 
their  education  should  be  continued.  Another  major  problem  was  to  open 
up  for  anybody  of  whatever  age  who  was  not  provided  for  in  the  regular 
educational  system,  an  educational  opportunity  suited  to  their  cultural  or 
vocational  needs.  A new  agency  had  to  be  created.  Cooperative  arrange- 
ments providing  for  this  supplementary  education  had  to  be  made  with  local 
educational  institutions  and  the  University  Extension  Division.  Personnel 
had  to  be  developed  to  teach  the  schools;  courses  of  study  suited  to  the  needs 
and  the  limited  amount  of  time  at  school  had  to  be  worked  out;  equipment 
had  to  be  purchased,  and  a nice  balance  had  to  be  maintained  between  in- 
dustrial training  as  the  boy  got  it  in  the  shop  and  as  he  should  get  it  in 
the  school.  Even  though  the  law  required  many  communities  to  establish 
these  schools,  the  spirit  and  basis  for  the  schools  had  to  be  impressed  upon 
governmental  and  local  authorities. 


ADMINISTRATION  OF  CONTINUATION  SCHOOLS' 


6 


These  are  the  problems  that  have  faced  the  administration  of  the  vocational 
school  in  the  past.  They  have  been  largely  problems  of  administration  and 
organization  as  distinct  from  supervision.  The  problems  of  organizing  the 
system  and  the  general  administration  of  it  have  been  fairly  well  settled, 
particularly  so  far  as  the  education  of  the  compulsory  part-time  pupils  are 
concerned  and  the  ordinary  work  of  evening  schools. 

The  Contribution  of  the  State  Directors 

In  this  development  the  several  state  directors  of  vocational  education 
have  each  made  a valuable  contribution. i Mr.  Sprague  made  an  excellent 
beginning  with  apprenticeship  work  which  has  never  been  fully  followed 
up  on  its  educational  side,  though  the  Industrial  Commission  has  done 
splendid  work  in  this  field,  particularly  with  the  assistance  of  its  State 
Advisory  Committee.  Mr.  Glynn  did  a valuable  piece  of  work  in  emphasizing 
the  necessity  for  an  industrial  content  in  the  continuation  school  work  and 
in  carrying  the  message  of  continuation  school  education  to  the  labor  unions 
and  securing  their  very  hearty  cooperation.  Mr.  Callahan  has  succeeded  in 
developing  generally  a spirit  of  cooperation  and  good  will  between  the  reg- 
ular schools  and  the  continuation  schools,  and  has  made  beginnings  in  the  im- 
portant problems  of  educational  supervision  which  now  face  Mr.  Hambrecht. 

Because  of  the  attitude  of  the  former  State  Superintendent  of  Schools, 
the  duty  of  supervision  was  not  vested  in  the  State  Board  of  Vocational  Edu- 
cation until  1917.  Up  to  the  present  time  the  problems  of  administration 
add  organization  as  distinct  from  supervision  have  been  uppermost.  The 
largest  problem  immediately  facing  the  new  Director  of  Vocational  Educa- 
tion is  the  problem  of  educational  supervision.  This  passes  now  from  a 
subordinate  to  a primary  position.  However,  with  the  passage  of  the  half- 
time law  passed  by  the  1921  Legislature  upon  our  recommendation,  which 
requires  children  between  the  ages  of  14  and  16  to  attend  school  half-time, 
an  important  and  large  new  problem  of  organization  and  administration 
faces  the  State  authorities.  With  the  new  State  Superintendent  of  Schools 
thoroughly  acquainted  with  the  problem,  with  a man  of  Mr.  Hambrecht’s 
educational  experience  and  training  in  industry  as  the  new  director  of  Vo- 
cational Education,  with  all  other  State  agencies  ready  and  willing  to  co- 
operate, the  vocational  school  ought  to  make  rapid  progress  in  its  strictly 
educational  problems. 

The  State  Director  of  Vocational  Education 

For  the  completeness  of  the  record  a summary  statement  of  the  education, 
training,  and  experience  of  the  State  directors  of  vocational  education  is 
given  below: 

Mr.  Frank  L.  Glynn,  State  Director  of  Vocational  Education,  1917-18 

Education:  High  School  graduate.  Graduate  of  Oswego  State  Normal 
School — 4-year  classical  course;  Business  College — 1 year.  Special  courses  in 

1 The  work  of  Mr.  Warren  E.  Hicks,  who  was  charged  with  the  responsibility 
of  getting  the  system  established,  and  did  effective  work  with  city  councils, 
which  had  to  be  done  in  spite  of  the  fact  that  the  law  was  compulsory,  was 
done  as  a member  of  the  staff  of  the  State  Superintendent  of  Schools. 


ADMINISTRATION  OF  CONTINUATION  SCHOOLS' 


7 


Industrial  Economics,  Cornell  University.  Associate  member  American  So- 
ciety of  Mechanical  Engineers. 

Practical  Experience:  Machinist  helper,  Railroad  shops.  Stenographer 
and  Accountant  in  business  office. 

Teaching  and  Supervising  Experience:  Director  of  Albany  Vocational 
School,  Albany  New  York;  Director  of  Bridgeport  State  Trade  School,  Bridge- 
port, Connecticut;  Director  State  Trade  School,  New  Britain,  Conn.  Inves- 
tigator (for  United  States  Bureau  of  Education  and  for  State  Board  of  Edu- 
cation of  Connecticut)  of  Trade,  Industrial,  and  Continuation  Schools  in 
various  European  countries.  Author:  U.  S.  Bureau  of  Education  Bulletin 
No.  23,  1914,  “Some  Trade  Schools  in  Europe;”  Director  of  Boardman  Ap- 
prentice Day  and  Evening  Trade  and  Continuation  School,  New  Haven, 
Connecticut,  under  City  Board  of  Education.  State  Director,  Board  of  Voca- 
tional Education,  Wisconsin,  1917-18;  Director,  Educational  Training  for  Pro- 
duction, Curtis  Aeroplane  Corporation,  Buffalo,  New  York;  Section  Head  of 
Production  Training  for  Ordnance  Department,  Philadelphia  District;  Author: 
U.  S.  Department  of  Labor  Bulletins  1 and  2,  1918,  on  Training  and  Dilution 
Service;  District  Superintendent  of  Training  and  Dilution  Service,  tJ.  S. 
Department  of  Labor;  Consultant  on  Production  Training,  Bethlehem  Steel 
Plant,  1918. 

Mr.  John  Callahan,  State  Director,  1919-21 

Elected  State  Superintendent  at  the  election  held  April  5th,  1921,  by  a 
total  vote  of  207,521  to  his  opponent’s,  C.  P.  Cary,  vote  of  177,582,  was  born 
in  Westchester  county,  New  York,  December  16,  1866,  and  came  to  Wiscon- 
sin with  his  parents  in  1869,  making  his  home  at  Prescott,  Pierce  County. 
He  has  had  over  thirty  years  experience  in  Wisconsin  public  schools  and 
for  twenty-seven  years  had  held  the  life  certificate.  For  three  years  he  was 
with  the  Pierce  county  schools,  eight  years  Supervisory  Principal  at  Glen- 
wood  city,  three  years  at  New  Richmond,  and  Superintendent  of  Schools  at 
Menasha  for  seventeen  years.  For  the  past  three  years  he  has  been  State 
Director  of  Vocational  Education.  He  was  conductor  of  the  Teachers  Insti- 
tutes, president  of  the  Northwest  Teachers’  Association  1900,  president  of 
the  Northeast  Teachers’  Association  1908,  president  of  the  State  Teachers’ 
Association  1913,  and  for  the  past  twelve  years  has  been  a member  of  the 
Teachers’  Legislative  Committee.  He  has  made  a specialty  of  rural  and 
graded  school  work  and  has  an  exceptional  familiarity  with  the  entire  school 
system  of  the  state.  (The  Blue-book  1919.) 


Mr.  George  P.  Hambrecht,  State  Director,  1921 

Education:  Graduated  from  High  School  1891,  University  of  Chicago  (Ph. 
B.)  1903,  Yale  University  Law  School  (LL.  B.)  1904;  attended  University  of 
Wisconsin,  3 years,  1903-06. 

Practical  Experience:  Office  assistant,  1 year,  1891-92;  one  of  the  founders 
and  secretary  of  the  University  Cooperative  Association  while  at  the  Uni- 
versity, 1903-06;  practiced  law  ten  years,  1904-14,  city  attorney,  member  of 
the  Wisconsin  Industrial  Commission,  6 years,  1915-21;  and  chairman  1917-21; 
President  of  the  Association  of  Governmental  Labor  Officials,  1919.  Chair- 
man, Wisconsin  War  Labor  Board,  1917-18. 

Teaching  and  Supervising  Experience:  Taught  high  school  (mathematics 
and  science  ) 3 years,  1895-97,  and  principal  of  high  school  2 years,  1897-99, 
and  superintendent  of  schools,  2 years,  1899-1901,  all  at  Grand,  now  Wisconsin 
Rapids,  Wisconsin;  State  Director,  Vocational  Education  1921. 


8 


ADMINISTRATION  OF  CONTINUATION  SCHOOLS 


III.  Character  of  the  Supervision  of  Schools 

There  are  now  organized  in  the  state  forty-eight  continuation  schools  in 
various  stages  of  development.  This  now  includes  every  city  required  by 
law  (i.  e.  with  a population  of  five  thousand)  to  have  a continuation  school 
and  includes  a number  of  smaller  cities  that  have  taken  advantage  of  the 
permissive  feature  of  the  law.  These  new  schools,  just  beginning,  without 
any  standardized  course  of  studies,  textbooks,  or  other  technique,  had  to  find 
their  way  and  the  continual  suspicion  of  industrialism  cast  upon  them  did 
not  help  them.  The  persistent  attempt  to  discredit  them  hindered  their 
progress. 

As  elsewhere  pointed  out,  there  developed,  under  the  supervision  of  Mr. 
Callahan,  a fine  spirit  of  cooperation  in  the  localities  and  a mutual  under- 
standing of  the  local  agencies  in  charge  of  both  phases  of  public  education. 
The  attacks  from  the  State  Department  became  intermittent.  The  Director 
of  Vocational  Education  was  in  the  field  practically  all  the  time,  developing 
the  cooperative  spirit.  However,  the  supervision  of  schools  took  on  the  char- 
acter more  or  less  of  first  aid.  The  supervisors  had  no  general  program 
that  they  carried  to  the  localities,  no  general  policy  on  the  various  problems 
of  local  administration. 


Written  Constructive  Criticism  by  State  Supervisors  Needed 

The  state  supervisor  visited  the  local  schools  and  conferred  with  the  direc- 
tor and  ordinarily  did  not  confer  with  the  local  Board  of  Industrial  Educa- 
tion unless  matters  of  finance  were  involved  in  the  suggestion.  Of  course 
during  the  period  of  organization  of  the  Vocational  School,  the  state  super- 
visor works  practically  with  and  through  the  local  board  of  industrial  edu- 
cation. Subsequently  the  whole  contact  was  a matter  of  oral  conversation 
between  the  director  and  the  supervisor.  It  would  seem  highly  desirable 
that  the  supervisor  should  write  out  fully  to  the  director  his  recommenda- 
tions both  as  a matter  of  record  and  as  a matter  of  later  checking  up  prog- 
ress in  the  school.  The  local  Board  of  Education  could  have  in  this  way 
the  benefit  of  independent  judgment  of  the  character  of  work  in  the  local 
schools.  Nothing  is  more  important  in  these  schools  than  the  sense  of  con- 
tinuing accomplishment.  If  the  supervisors  would  continually  state  in  writ- 
ing before  each  of  the  directors  some  things  which  should  be  accomplished 
before  the  next  visit,  the  improvement  in  these  schools  would  be  rapid. 

State  Supervision  Strong  in  Selling  the  Idea  Locally 

The  state  supervision  has  been  very  effective  in  what  has  been  called 
“selling  the  idea”  to  the  local  community.  It  is  largely  through  the  energetic 
action  of  the  state  supervisors  that  communities  have  been  led  to  undertake 
the  continuation  school  program.  If  there  has  been  deficiency,  it  has  been 
along  the  lines  of  not  working  out  definitely  in  advance  of  the  actual  opening 
of  the  school  a program  that  was  suited  to  the  peculiar  needs  of  that  com- 
munity. Definite  surveys  of  communities  have  not  preceded  organizations 
of  schools.  The  particular  organization  of  a school  was  largely  left  to  the 


ADMINISTRATION  OF  CONTINUATION  SCHOOLS' 


9 


local  director  and  the  local  board  of  industrial  education,  without  the  benefit 
of  the  failures  and  successes  of  other  school  organizations  in  the  State.  The 
supervisors  are  in  a peculiar  position  to  make  good  organization  universal  by- 
bringing  reports  of  what  is  happening  to  other  communities,  by  urging  local 
directors  and  boards  of  industrial  education  to  go  and  visit  other  communi- 
ties, with  specific  suggestions  as  to  what  to  look  for. 

Salesmanship  and  Workmanship  Needed 

We  are  pointing  out  more  fully  in  the  chapter  on  the  local  director 
over-emphasis  on  salesmanship,  or  rather  under-emphasis  on  workmanship. 
We  have  been  a little  bit  too  anxious  about  selling  the  idea  without  improv- 
ing the  product.  Perhaps  in  the  whole  range  of  education  there  is  no  part 
of  the  program  that  can  be  more  definitely  brought  home  to  communities 
than  this  continuation  school  idea  for  children  in  industry,  whether  we  look 
at  it  in  the  light  of  social  need  or  individual  need.  As  great  emphasis  must 
now  be  placed  upon  workmanship  as  has  been  placed  on  salesmanship,  and 
the  defect  which  we  are  here  noting  in  state  supervision  has  been  perhaps 
even  more  notably  true  of  local  supervision,  as  elsewhere  described  in  Chap- 
ter XIII  on  “The  Director.’’ 

State  Supervision  Should  be  Especially  Interested  in  Administration 

Because  of  the  comparative  infrequency  of  state  inspection  the  good  to  be 
derived  from  state  inspection  will  be  at  its  maximum  if  the  state  supervisors 
devote  their  attention  to  the  general  conditions  underlying  a school  system, 
the  conditions  under  which  the  classroom  teachers  work,  the  frequency  and 
quality  of  inspection  by  the  local  director,  the  program  of  training  teachers 
in  service  and  its  actual  working  out.  The  state  inspector  coming  to  a city 
four  times  a year,  which  is  rather  unusual,  and  inspecting  the  classrooms 
could  hardly  have  very  much  effect  upon  the  quality  of  classroom  work. 

The  major  responsibility  for  classroom  instruction  is  placed  upon  the  direc- 
tor. He  is  on  the  job  every  day  in  the  year.  He  can  visit  regularly  and 
systematically;  he  can  make  suggestions  and  see  how  effectively  they  are 
carried  out.  The  great  opportunity  for  the  supervisors  is  to  see  that  the 
director  is  doing  this  job  and  not  to  do  it  themselves.  State  supervisors 
do  not  stay  long  enough  in  any  of  the  cities  to  make  inspections  of  all  class- 
rooms that  would  lead  to  constructive  results  in  the  time  allotted  to  them. 
The  state  supervisors  must  regard  their  major  job  as  assisting  the  directors 
to  be  constructively  helpful  to  all  of  their  teachers,  and  assisting  local  boards 
to  find  and  keep  good  directors.  The  state  supervisor  should  inspect  the 
classrooms  with  the  director  and  notice  his  method  of  handling  the  teach- 
ers, the  quality  of  suggestions  he  makes,  the  way  he  makes  them,  and  stay 
with  him  for  after-school  conferences  with  some  of  the  teachers.  This  at- 
titude by  the  state  supervisor  in  itself  would  create  a wonderful  change  in 
the  attitude  of  the  directors  toward  their  work  and  would  reveal  instantly 
the  pedagogical  weakness  of  the  vocational  schools.  A constructive  work- 
ing out  of  this  policy  would  be  helpful  to  all  types  of  supervision  in  all 
states  of  the  country. 


10 


ADMINISTRATION  OF  CONTINUATION  SCHOOLS' 


Training  of  Teachers  in  Service 

Beside  the  problem  of  supervision  itself  to  judge  the  quality  of  work  that 
is  now  being  done,  two  other  educational  problems  deserve  special  atten- 
tion. These  are  the  problems  of  training  of  teachers  in  service  and  of  courses 
of  study.  As  will  be  shown  in  more  detail  in  Chapter  12  on  the  “Teacher 
Problem,”  most  of  the  teachers  in  the  vocational  schools  are  inadequately 
prepared  for  the  work,  either  on  the  side  of  academic  and  pedagogical  train- 
ing or  on  the  side  of  industrial  experience  and  knowledge.  But  even  if 
teachers  had  the  best  training  now  offered  in  the  teacher  training  schools, 
there  would  be,  as  there  is  in  the  general  public  school,  need  for  continuous 
training.  Beside  the  general  inspection  of  schools  and  such  teacher  training 
as  has  been  incidental  to  that,  which  is  not  very  large,  the  State  Board  of 
Vocational  Education  for  a number  of  years  has  been  conscious  of  the  prob- 
lem and  has  provided  at  Stout  Institute  each  summer  a week’s  conference  of 
all  the  directors,  and  in  four  places  in  the  state  sectional  meetings  of  directors 
and  teachers  for  the  purpose  of  discussing  the  problems  of  the  continuation 
school.  A typical  program  of  a sectional  conference  is  the  one  given  at  Apple- 
ton,  December  9,  10,  and  11,  1920.  The  program  of  this  meeting  is  as  follows: 


STATE  BOARD  OF  VOCATIONAL  EDUCATION 


Conference  of  Vocational-School  Teachers,  Appleton,  Wis. 
(Vocational  School  Building) 


December  9,  1920 


9:00  A.  M.  General  Session 


Chairman,  John  Callahan,  Madison 


Educating  the  Community John  Callahan 

Objective  and  Ideals  in  Continuation  School  Work W.  C.  Sieker 

The  Relation  of  the  Vocational  School  to  the  Home Miss  Bessie  Allen 

1:30  P.  M.  Sectional  Sessions 


Trades  and  Industry  Group 

Analysis  of  the  Job,  including  Auxiliary  and  Related  Material. ...W.  F.  Faulkes 

E.  E.  Gunn,  Jr. 


Home  Making  Group 

Organization  and  General  Content  of  Home  Making 

Courses  ...Miss  Margaret  Johnston 


Academic  Group 

Arithmetic  A.  R.  Graham 

Commercial  Group 

Organization  of  Commercial  Work  to  Fit  the  Needs 

of  the  Community Professor  C.  M.  Yoder 

6:30  P.  M.  Banquet 

Address  by  R.  L.  Cooley,  Director  of  Central  Continuation  School,  Milwau- 
kee, Wisconsin. 


ADMINISTRATION  OF  CONTINUATION  SCHOOLS' 


It 


December  10,  1920 

9:00  A.  M.  Sectional  Sessions 


Trade  and  Industry  Group 

Blocking  in  of  Trades  and  the  Instructional  Process 

Home  Making  Group 


-W.  F.  Faulke3 
E.  E.  Gunn,  Jr. 


Methods  and  Presentation  in  Home  Making  Instruction 

Miss  Margaret  Johnston 


Academic  Group 

Civics  A.  R.  Graham 

Commercial  Group 

The  Elements  of  a Part-time  Commercial  Course C.  M.  Yoder 


1:30  P.  M.  Trades  and  Industry  Group 

Determination  of  the  Progression  Factor  and  Checking 
Levels  


Home  Making  Group 


.W.  F.  Faulkes 
E.  E.  Gunn,  Jr. 


Arrangement,  Use,  and  Care  of  Equipment  and  Sup- 
plies for  Girls’  Work Miss  Margaret  Johnston 


Academic  Group 

English  in  Part-time  and  Evening  Schools A.  R.  Graham 

Commercial  Group 

The  Successful  Operation  of  an  All  Day  Commercial  School.... Professor  Yoder 


December  11,  1920 

9:00  A.  M. — General  Session 


Chairman,  John  Callahan 

Relations  to  Office  of  State  Board  of  Vocational  Education John  Callahan 


A typical  program  of  the  annual  conference  of  local  directors  of  voca- 
tional schools  is  the  program  at  Stout  Institute  on  August  17,  18,  and  19, 
1921,  which  is  as  follows: 


CONFERENCES  OF  LOCAL  DIRECTORS  OF  VOCATIONAL  EDUCATION 

Conducted  by  the 

State  Board  of  Vocational  Education  of  Wisconsin  at  Stout  Institute, 
Menomonie,  Wisconsin 

August,  17,  18,  19,  1921 
George  P.  Hambrecht,  Chairman 

Wednesday,  9 A.  M. 


1. 

2. 


Opening  Address 

Industrial  Rehabilitation 


George  P.  Hambrecht 

Miss  Tracy  Copp, 

Federal  Board  of  Voc.  Education 


12 


ADMINISTRATION  OF  CONTINUATION  SCHOOLS' 


3.  Industrial  Rehabilitation  and  its  Relation  to  Vocational 


Schools  ...W.  F.  Faulkes 

4.  Recent  Vocational  Legislation E.  E.  Gunn,  Jr. 


Wednesday,  2 P.  M. 


5.  Part  Time  Education R.  L.  Cooley 

6.  Plans  and  Suggestions  for  Increasing  the  Number  of  Ap- 

prentices   Walter  Simon 

7.  Discussion  of  State  Plans  to  the  Federal  Board  and  their 

Relation  to  Local  Programs A.  R.  Graham 


Thursday,  9 A.  M. 

1.  Maintaining  the  Institutional  Integrity  of  the  Vocational 
School  Under  Cooperative  Plans  with  the  Full  Time 


School  A.  R.  Graham 

2.  Interpretation  of  Child  Labor  Laws Taylor  Frye 

3.  Vocational  Education  R.  L.  Cooley 

4.  Responsibility  of  the  Public  Official Charles  E.  Whelan 


Thursday,  2 P.  M. 

5.  Organization  of  a Course  in  Civics Mrs.  Glenn  P.  Turner, 

State  Board  of  Education 

6.  Summary  of  Trade  Analysis W.  F.  Faulkes 

7.  Evening  School  Work.. , W.  F.  Faulkes 

8.  Remarks Lt.  Gov.  George  F.  Comings 


Friday,  9 A.  M. 

1.  New  Responsibilities  of  the  Continuation  Schools E.  A.  Fitzpatrick, 

State  Board  of  Education 

2.  Vocational  Guidance  A.  R.  Graham 

3.  Development  of  Vocational  School  Work  Through  Co- 

ordination  E.  E.  Gunn,  Jr. 

4.  Remarks  J.  H.  Brown,  Madison,  Wisconsin 

5.  All  Day  and  Part  Time  Commercial  Courses E.  W.  Barnhart, 

Federal  Board  for  Vocational  Education 

Friday,  2 P.  M. 


6. 

7. 

8. 


9. 


Address  

Project  Method  in  Home  Economics 

Uniform  Record  Blanks — 

(a)  Forms  required  by  the  State 

(b)  Other  School  Administrative  Records. 


(c)  Records  for  Checking  Advancement. 
Business  English  and  Office  Training.. 


John  Callahan 

Margaret  Johnston 

E.  E.  Gunn,  Jr. 

L.  P.  Whitcomb 

H.  G.  Stewart 
L.  A.  Crocker 
E.  F.  Randall 

T.  S.  Rees 

W.  R.  Rasche 
Miss  Regina  Groves, 
Madison,  Wisconsin 


Within  the  scope  of  these  conferences,  they  have  provided  an  excellent 
means  for  the  exchange  of  opinion  and  bringing  to  bear  more  directly  from 
the  supervisor  and  from  some  outsiders  a broad  conception  of  the  problem 
of  the  continuation  school. 


ADMINISTRATION  OF  CONTINUATION  SCHOOLS’ 


13 


The  State  Courses  of  Study 

The  Eoard  of  Vocational  Education  has  issued  a series  of  courses  of  study 
for  the  continuation  schools.  The  list  is  given  in  the  list  of  publications 
which  we  are  giving  in  Appendix  A to  this  chapter.  We  are  describing  at 
some  length  the  course  of  study  situation  in  the  local  continuation  schools 
in  Chapters  9,  10,  and  11. 

For  the  most  part  the  courses  of  study  published  by  the  state  are  merely 
outlines  of  the  subject  matter  to  be  taught  in  the  schools.  Apparently  very 
little  attention  has  been  given  to  the  psychological  arrangement  of  the  sub- 
ject matter  or  other  educational  considerations.  These  courses  of  study 
do  furnish,  however,  some  suggestions  on  the  scope  of  the  work  and  a pos- 
sible division  of  the  subject  matter  in  various  fields.  The  most  striking 
of  the  courses  of  study  is  the  one  in  civics,  covering  a wide  range  of  histori- 
cal data  culminating  in  a study  of  contemporary  institutions.  The  historical 
study  is  limited  neither  to  the  political  nor  military  history,  as  so  often  hap- 
pens, but  includes  the  scientific  and  intellectual  sides  as  well.  A course 
of  study  is  definitely  arranged  with  reference  to  the  principle  of  progression 
and  extends  over  the  entire  compulsory  school  period  in  the  continuation 
school  as  defined  by  law  when  the  course  of  study  was  written.  There  are 
two  principal  difficulties  with  this  particular  course  of  study:  1.  The  teachers 
now  teaching  in  the  vocational  schools  do  not  have  the  training  nor  could 
they  by  any  possible  “boning  up”  possess  the  wide  sweep  and  sureness  of 
knowledge  which  this  course  of  study  requires.  2.  It  is  practically  impos- 
sible with  the  continuation  school  student  at  present  and  in  the  time  al- 
loted  to  do  anything  more  than  give  to  students  the  judgments  of  the  teacher 
without  any  possibility  of  giving  them  the  data  or  without  any  possibility 
of  their  reading  enough  outside  really  to  understand  the  broad  sweep  of 
the  movement  outlined  in  this  course  of  study.  Its  introduction,  however, 
contains  sound  suggestions  regarding  the  course  of  study  and  are  quoted 
elsewhere  in  this  report.* 

* Special  comment  on  the  domestic  science  courses  of  study  is  made  on  pages 


29-30. 


14 


ADMINISTRATION  OF  CONTINUATION  SCHOOLS 


§ IV.  The  Personnel  of  the  Supervisory  Staff  of  the 
Continuation  School 

The  effort  to  secure  supervisors  under  the  direction  of  the  State  Board 
of  Vocational  Education  has  an  interesting  history.  In  1915  the  State 
Board  of  Vocational  Education  was  authorized  to  have  a “developer”  under 
its  own  direction.  The  experience  of  Mr.  Glynn,  who  was  selected  to  develop 
the  work,  indicated  almost  immediately  the  need  for  further  assistance. 
A plan  was  developed  through  the  use  of  the  Federal  funds  to  secure  the 
necessary  assistance.  Under  this  plan  the  State  Board  of  Vocational  Edu- 
cation allowed  the  local  Board  of  Industrial  Education  a certain  amount  of 
Federal  aid  for  the  payment  of  salaries  and  expenses  of  the  local  directors 
who  were  to  act  as  district  supervisors  under  the  direction  of  the  State 
Board  of  Vocational  Education. 

The  State  Board  of  Education  discussed  this  subject  at  its  meeting  on 
January  9,  1919,  and  felt  that  the  situation  should  be  met  directly,  and  dis- 
approved the  method  of  securing  what  was  admittedly  necessary  assistance. 
The  minutes  of  the  State  Board  of  Education  for  January  9,  1919,  has  this 
item: 

“Motion  was  made  by  Mr.  Hixon  and  seconded  by  Dr.  Vilas  that  the  State 
Board  of  Education  disapprove  the  use  of  Federal  Aid  for  the  purpose  of 
district  supervisors  as  not  contemplated  by  the  Smith-Hughes  law,  nor  by 
the  Federal  authorities.  The  Secretary  of  the  State  Board  of  Education  was 
directed  to  advise  the  State  Board  of  Vocational  Education  that  it  should 
present  a new  budget  for  general  administration  and  supervision  in  view  of 
the  foregoing  action.” 

The  state  budget  of  1919  (p.  224)  has  this  note  on  the  situation: 

“In  March  of  this  year  the  State  Board  of  Vocational  Education,  through 
an  arrangement  with  local  boards  of  industrial  education  of  the  cities  of 
Kenosha,  Appleton,  Green  Bay,  and  Racine,  secured  the  services  of  A.  R. 
Graham,  W.  F.  Faulkes,  E.  E.  Gunn,  Jr.,  Moncena  Dunn,  and  Miss  Avis 
Ring,  who  have  been  acting  as  district  supervisors  under  the  direction  of 
the  State  Board.  The  salaries  and  expenses  of  such  district  supervisors 
have  been  paid,  indirectly,  from  federal  funds  received  from  the  Federal 
Board  for  Vocational  Education  under  the  terms  of  the  Smith-Hughes  Act. 
This  arrangement,  so  far  as  the  present  year  is  concerned,  has  been  ap- 
proved by  the  Federal  Board.  They  request,  however,  that  at  the  next  ses- 
sion of  the  legislature  arrangements  be  made  by  which  the  salaries  and 
expenses  of  such  district  supervisors  may  be  paid  directly  from  state  funds. 
We,  therefore,  request  that  in  addition  to  the  appropriation  granted  the 
State  Board  for  administrative  expenses  we  be  granted  sufficient  funds  with 
which  to  pay  the  salaries  and  expenses  of  such  district  supervisors,  as  in- 
dicated below.” 

After  the  1919  legislature  provided  the  funds  for  financing  this  work  a 
civil  service  examination  was  held  in  which  three  inspectors  of  trades  and 
industries  proved  to  be  the  highest  on  the  list  and  were  named  for  the  posi- 
tions. The  S'mith-Hughes  Law  practically  made  it  necessary  to  have  a su- 
pervisor of  Agriculture  and  a supervisor  of  Domestic  Science.  The  Civil 
Service  Commission  included  examinations  for  these  places  and  Miss  John- 
ston and  Mr.  Gehrend  were  recommended  by  the  Civil  Service  Commission 
and  appointed  by  the  Board. 


ADMINISTRATION  OF  CONTINUATION  SCHOOLS' 


15 


The  personnel  of  the  supervisory  staff  of  the  State  Board  of  Vocational 
Education,  as  thus  selected,  continues  to  the  present  time.  The  education, 
practical,  and  teaching  experience  of  the  supervisors  may  be  presented  in 
summary  form  as  follows: 


Margaret  Johnston,  Supervisor  of  Home  Economics 

Education:  Graduated  from  Ellsworth  High  School  1888  and  from  the 
Home  Economics  Course  at  Stout  Institute  1905;  attended  summer  sessions 
Ellsworth  High  School  1888  and  1889  and  River  Falls  Normal  School  1895. 

Practical  Experience:  Housewife,  1 year,  1891-92;  demonstration  work  in 

summers  as  follows:  1914;  cold  pack  canning,  1917;  wheat 

substitutes,  1918.  (1  year  and  3 summers.) 

Teaching  and  Supervising  Experience:  Rural  School,  1 year;  1889-90; 
Grade  teaching;  Ellsworth,  1 year,  1890-91,  Glen  wood,  4 years,  1893-97,  Ells- 
worth, 1 year,  1897-98,  St.  Croix  Falls,  4 years,  1898-1902;  Marion  State  School 
for  Dependent  Children,  Sparta,  1 year,  1902-03;  Stout  Institute,  1 year, 
1905-06;  Director  Home  Economics,  Wiaukegan,  Illinois,  13  years,  1906-19; 
Summer  Sessions,  River  Falls  Normal  School,  1915  and  1916.  (26  years  and  2 
summers.) 


Edward  E.  Gunn,  Supervisor  of  Trades  and  Industries 

Education:  Graduated  from  Green  Bay  High  School  1902;  attended  sum- 
mer sessions  Valley  City  Normal  School,  N.  D.,  1905,  Oshkosh  Normal  School, 
1907,  Stout  Institute,  1918,  and  Columbia  University,  1919;  correspondence 
work  in  civil  engineering  with  International  Correspondence  Schools,  and 
in  law  with  the  LaSalle  Extension  University. 

Practical  Experience:  Farming,  1 summer,  worked  in  shops  of  Chicago, 
Mil.  & St.  Paul  Ry.  4 summers,  and  worked  for  Wisconsin  Public  Service 
Co.  1 summer.  (6  summers.) 

Teaching  and  Supervising  Experience:  Rural  School,  2 years;  Principal 
Green  Bay  Ward  School,  6 years,  1906-12-;  Director  of  Vocational  Education 
at  Green  Bay,  6 years,  1912-18.  (14  years.) 

Alexander  R.  Graham,  Supervisor  of  Trades  and  Industries 

Education:  Attended  Whitewater  Normal  School,  4 years,  1899-1903,  Ar- 
mour Institute  of  Technology  (Manual  Arts)  1 year,  1907-08,  and  the  Uni- 
versity of  Wisconsin,  1 year,  (part  time),  1909-10.  Attended  summer  sessions: 
Whitewater  Normal  School,  1904,  University  of  Wisconsin,  1909,  1910,  1911, 
1912,  1919,  and  Stout  Institute,  1918. 

Practical  Experience:  Whitewater  Wagon  Works,  4 summers,  1899-1903. 

Teaching  and  Supervising  Experience:  Rural  School,  1 year,  1903-04; 
Grades,  Deerfield,  Wis.,  2 years,  1904-06;  High  Schools:  Urbana,  Illinois,  1 
year,  1906-07,  Deerfield,  1 year,  1910-11,  Racine,  1 year,  1911-12;  High  School 
and  Continuation  School,  jointly,  Racine,  1 year,  1912-13;  Director  of  Continu- 
ation School  Racine,  5 years,  1913-18.  (12  years.) 

William  Frederick  Faulkes,  Supervisor  of  Trades  and  Industries.* 

Education:  Graduated  from  Sheboygan  High  School  (Classical  Course) 
1896,  and  from  the  Oshkosh  Normal  School  (Industrial  Course)  1907.  At- 
tended University  of  Missouri,  1 year,  1897-98;  summer  session  University 
of  Wisconsin,  1907  and  1908;  Stout  Institute,  1918,  and  Columbia  University, 
1919;  studied  industrial  education  in  Europe  1913-14. 


ADMINISTRATION  OF  CONTINUATION  SCHOOLS 


16 


Practical  Experience:  Waukesha  Malleable  Iron  Works,  lx/2  years,  Modern 
Steel  Structural  Co.,  Waukesha,  2 years,  Lauson  Engine  Works,  New  Hol- 
stein, y2  year,  building  contractor  3 summers.  (4  years  and  3 summers.) 

Teaching  and  Supervising  Experience:  Rural  School,  3 years;  State 
Graded  School,  2 years;  Director  of  Manual  Arts,  Two  Rivers,  Wis.,  2 years, 
and  Appleton,  Wis.,  4 years.  (11  years.) 

Gustav  W.  Gehrend  Supervisor  of  Agriculture 

Education:  Graduated  -from  Elkhorn  High  School  (Science  Course)  1889, 
Whitewater  Normal  School  (Science  Course)  1894,  University  of  Wisconsin 
(Ph.  B.)  1903,  and  (Ph.  M.)  1915. 

Practical  Experience:  Lived  and  worked  on  farm  until  21  and  5 sum- 
mers thereafter;  United  States  Emergency  Demonstration  Agent,  Dane 
County,  1917-19. 

Teaching  and  Supervising  Experience:  Graded  School,  Manawa,  Wis.,  1 
year,  1892-93;  Superintendent  of  Schools,  Jefferson,  Wis.,  2 years.,  1894-96; 
Boscobel,  Wis.,  5 years,  1896-1901;  Baraboo,  Wis.,  5 years,  1903-08,  Marquette, 
Michigan,  6 years,  1908-14;  Assistant  Professor  of  Animal  and  Dairy  Hus- 
bandry University  of  Minnesota,  2 years,  1915-17  (21  years). 

The  supervisors  of  Trade  and  Industry  are  thus  men  who  came  into  the 
work  early  and  have  developed  along  with  it.  Their  former  school  education 
has  been  more  or  less  irregular,  through  all  of  it  is  the  substantial  equivalent 
of  graduation  from  a State  Normal  School  in  this  State.  There  is  very  clear 
evidence  in  the  statement  of  a desire  to  improve  themselves  by  continuing 
attendance  at  summer  sessions,  and  in  the  case  of  Mr.  Faulkes  of  going  to 
Europe  to  study  the  industrial  education  situation.  The  practical  experience 
of  Mr.  Graham  and  Mr.  Gunn  are  incidental,  that  of  Mr.  Faulkes  is  more 
substantial.  All  of  the  supervisors  have  had  rather  a wide  supervising  and 
teaching  experience.  Mr.  Faulkes  has  been  in  the  work  of  teaching  and  super- 
vising for  eleven  years,  Mr.  Graham  twelve  years,  and  Mr.  Gunn  fourteen 
years. 

The  continuation  school  problem  was  a new  problem  at  the  time  and 
specific  training  in  it  was  not  available  in  our  teacher  training  institutions, 
and  the  directors  who  were  selected  to  be  supervisors  were  men  who  at  the 
time  had  been,  in  the  opinion  of  the  State  Board  of  Vocational  Education, 
most  successful  in  the  local  administration  of  the  continuation  schools  in  the 
local  communities. 

Miss  Johnston  with  the  special  training  of  Stout  Institute  in  Home  Eco- 
nomics and  thirteen  years  of  experience  as  Director  of  Home  Economics  at 
Waukegan,  Illinois,  besides  thirteen  years  of  other  teaching  experience,  in- 
cluding one  year  at  Stout  Institute  and  two  summers  at  the  River  Falls  Normal 
School,  was  by  training  particularly  well  qualified  to  take  up  the  work  of 
supervisor  of  Vocational  Home  Economics. 

Mr.  Gehrand  as  Supervisor  of  Agriculture  need  not  detain  us  in  this  con- 
nection because  we  plan  to  discuss  his  work  more  in  detail  in  the  Agricul- 
tural Survey. 

* In  August,  1921,  Mr.  Faulkes  was  made  Supervisor  of  Handicaps  with  two 
assistants.  Miss  Roach  and  Mr.  Joseph  H.  Brown,  both  formerly  of  the  Industrial 
Commission. 


ADMINISTRATION  OF  CONTINUATION  SCHOOLS 


17 


§ V.  Some  General  Problems  of  State  Supervision 
Cooperation  with  the  State  Superintendent 

Besides  the  special  recommendations  made  in  this  chapter,  three  additional 
recommendations  may  be  made,  one  of  which  has  been  practically  achieved. 
When  this  chapter  was  first  prepared  stress  was  laid  upon  the  necessity  of 
cooperation  between  the  State  Superintendent  and  the  State  Board  of  Vo- 
cational Education.  Through  the  process  of  popular  election  the  Director 
of  Vocational  Education  has  become  the  State  Superintendent  of  Schools,  and 
has  included  in  his  platform  hearty  cooperation  with  all  the  State  educational 
boards.  Since  he  has  assumed  office,  on  the  third  of  July,  1921,  he  has  put 
into  effect  the  policy  of  cooperation  and  the  State  Board  of  Vocational  Edu- 
cation and  the  State  Superintendent  of  Schools  are  working  together  for  the 
best  interests  of  all  the  children  of  the  State. 

An  Active  State  Policy 

The  second  general  need  in  the  vocational  school  system  is  the  formula- 
tion of  an  active  State  policy  in  vocational  education.  The  attacks  on  the 
vocational  schools  by  the  State  Superintendent  have  kept  them  to  too 
great  a degree  in  a defensive  position.  They  were,  by  the  necessities  of 
the  case,  too  much  concerned  about  attacks  from  the  rear.  Now  no  such 
possibilities  exist,  and  a cooperative  and  helpful  attitude  is  substituted  for 
“wars  and  rumors  of  war,’’  and  consequently  from  this  standpoint  alone  the 
time  for  an  active  State  policy  is  opportune. 

Even  without  this  opposition  there  was  need  for  evolving  a policy  in  the 
light  of  community  developments  and  the  spontaneous  response  to  needs  of 
the  vocational  schools.  The  variety  of  service  that  these  schools  can  render, 
the  organization  to  meet  all  sorts  of  educational  needs  for  more  or  less 
limited  time,  the  awakening  of  the  directors  to  the  opportunity  for  educa- 
tional leadership,  and  the  impending  further  development  of  the  work  in 
the  field  of  adult  education,  make  an  active  State  policy  imperative. 

This,  of  course,  should  not  be  necessarily  a policy  developed  exclusively 
by  State  officers,  but  must  be  a policy  cooperatively  worked  out  by  the  entire 
teaching  force  under  the  direction  of  the  State  officers  and  the  local  direc- 
tors. Simultaneous  consideration  by  the  classroom  teachers  in  the  vocational 
schools  and  State  and  local  supervisors  of  the  important  educational  prob- 
lems involved  in  the  work  should  be  the  basis  for  the  solution  of  the  more 
important  problems  of  supervision  which  confront  these  schools — the  evolu- 
tion of  courses  of  study,  training  of  teachers  in  service,  and  the  development 
of  a professional  attitude  by  all  people  working  in  the  continuation  schools. 

Specialized  Supervision 

The  present  supervision  of  the  continuation  school  has  been  a general 
supervision.  The  State  has  been  districted  and  each  of  the  three  super- 
visors of  trade  and  industrial  subjects  has  been  assigned  a district  where 


18 


ADMINISTRATION  OF  CONTINUATION  SCHOOLS 


he  is  in  charge  of  the  entire  administration  of  the  school.  With  one  super- 
visor of  agricultural  education,  no  possibility  of  subdivision  of  the  work 
existed,  and  of  course  this  formed  a specialized  kind  of  supervision.  With  a 
young  developing  type  of  institution  such  as  the  continuation  school,  now 
that  the  problems  of  mere  organization  have  been  solved,  there  is  special 
need  to  bring  to  bear  upon  the  problems  of  these  schools  a highly  specialized 
form  of  supervision,  what  in  industry  would  be  called  “functionalized  man- 
agement.” 

The  assigning  of  the  work  of  industrial  handicaps  to  Mr.  Faulkes  is  the 
utilization  of  special  talent  for  that  kind  of  work.  The  continuation  schools 
in  general  need  for  their  academic  problems  specialized  supervision.  They 
need  it  in  their  trade  and  industrial  subjects  as  well.  The  State  Board  of 
Vocational  Education  should  at  the  earliest  possible  moment  utilize  what- 
ever special  talent  is  in  its  present  force,  and  for  a number  of  years  ahead 
make  the  inspection  of  these  schools  specialized  rather  than  general.  At 
the  present  stage  of  development  the  only  thing  that  the  supervisors  can  do 
is  to  give  a general  supervision  to  these  schools.  There  will  come  a time 
when  the  problems  of  the  vocational  school  are  more  generally  understood 
than  they  are  now  and  when  technique  has  been  developed,  and  by  wise 
administration  and  supervision  furnished  to  all  schools.  Then  the  Board  may 
go  back  to  a general  supervision,  but  that  time  is  not  in  the  immediate  future. 


ADMINISTRATION  OF  CONTINUATION  SCHOOLS' 


19 


State  School  Administration 

Recommendations 

1.  The  State  Board  of  Vocational  Education  should  devote  its  meetings  to 
comprehensive  planning  and  the  building  up  of  definite  state  policies  in  the 
large  field  within  its  jurisdiction.  The  interest  of  the  board  in  administra- 
tive routine  should  be  primarily  for  this  larger  service. 

2.  The  State  Board  of  Vocational  Education  should  from  now  on  stress  its 
educational  supervisory  functions  more  than  its  administrative  functions. 
This,  of  course,  must  not  be  interpreted  to  mean  that  the  organization  and 
administrative  problems  will  be  neglected,  but  that  the  supervisory  educa- 
tional functions  are  to  become  increasingly  important. 

3.  The  State  Board  of  Vocational  Education  should  develop  more  as  a 
staff  agency  than  as  an  inspection  agency.  The  State  courses  of  study 
should  be  developed  more  fully  than  the  present  courses,  and  in  making 
such  courses  of  study,  the  State  agency  should  aim  to  secure  the  active  co- 
operation of  the  teachers  in  the  continuation  schools  in  working  out  the 
problems  of  a State  course  of  study. 

4.  The  State  Supervisors  should  make  their  suggestions,  comments,  and 
constructive  criticism  a matter  of  record  and  file  with  the  local  officer  and 
the  local  board.  These  reports  should  be  the  basis  of  subsequent  visits  to 
determine  progress. 

-*■  5.  The  staff  of  State  Supervisors  should  direct  their  attention  to  the 
fundamental  conditions  of  school  administration,  particularly  the  administra- 
tive agency,  namely,  the  director.  His  method  of  supervision,  of  providing 
continued  training  for  teachers,  his  program,  his  methods  of  utilizing  teachers 
and  developing  courses  of  study,  and  improving  methods,  should  be  the  spe- 
cial interest  of  the  State  Supervisors. 

6.  The  character  of  the  supervision  that  the  State  has  heretofore  been 
giving  is  general.  What  we  need  is  a specialization  of  the  staff  of  the  State 
Board  of  Vocational  Education  and  consequently  the  benefits  of  special  super- 
vision should  be  given  to  the  localities.  Some  beginnings  in  this  work  have 
already  been  effected  by  the  election  of  a State  Supervisor  of  Agricultural 
Education  and  a State  Supervisor  of  Home  Economics.  The  present  staff  is 
used  somewhat  in  accordance  with  its  special  abilities  for  this  special  form 
of  supervision. 

7.  The  active  cooperation  of  the  State  Superintendent  of  Schools  and 
the  State  Board  of  Vocational  Education  will  be  helpful  in  developing  the 
continuation  schools.  (While  this  survey  was  being  made  the  State  Director 
of  Vocational  Education  became  the  State  Superintendent  of  Schools,  and 
this  cooperation  is  now  a matter-of-fact). 


20 


ADMINISTRATION  OF  CONTINUATION  SCHOOLS' 


APPENDIX  A 


Publication  of  State  Board  of  Industrial  Education — 1911-1917. 


Bulletin 

No. 

1. 

Bulletin 

No. 

2. 

Bulletin 

No. 

3. 

Bulletin 

No. 

4. 

Bulletin 

No. 

5. 

Bulletin 

No. 

6. 

Bulletin 

No. 

7 

Bulletin 

No. 

8. 

Bulletin 

No. 

9. 

Bulletin 

No. 

10. 

Bulletin 

No. 

11. 

Bulletin 

No. 

12, 

13 

and 

14 

Laws  of  Wisconsin  relating  to  employment  of  women  and 
children,  industrial  education  and  truancy.  Comp,  by  C. 
P.  Cary.  1912* 

Wisconsin  legislation  governing  industrial  and  continua- 
tion education.  By  H.  E.  Miles.  1912. 

Industrial  education.  By  H.  E.  Miles.  1912. 

Education  of  the  girl.  By  L.  D.  Harvey.  1912. 

Industrial  and  continuation  schools.  By  L.  E.  Reber.  1912. 
Manual  Arts.  By  F.  D.  Crawshaw.  1912. 

Public  continuation  schools  By  Wisconsin  Board  of  In- 
dustrial Education.  1913. 

Proceedings  of  the  first  institute  of  the  continuation  school 
teachers  of  Wisconsin.  1913. 

Practical  application  of  cooking  lessons.  1914. 

Outlines  of  lessons:  institute  of  teachers  Wisconsin  public 
industrial,  commercial,  continuation  and  evening  schools. 

1914. 

Outlines  of  lessons:  institute  of  teachers  Wisconsin  public 
industrial,  commercial,  continuation  and  evening  schools. 

1915. 

Papers  and  discussions  at  the  conferences  of  teachers  of 
Wisconsin  public  industrial,  commercial,  continuation 
and  evening  schools.  1916.  2 Pts. 

Biennial  Report  of  the  State  Board  of  Industrial  Educa- 
tion for  the  period  ending  July  1,  1914. 2 


♦These  bulletins  (1-14)  were  published  under  Mr.  Hick’s  direction. 
2 This  was  prepared  largely  by  Mr.  Sprague. 


Bulletin  Vol.  I,  No.  1,*  May  25,  1916. 

Bulletin  Vol.  I,  No.  2.  June  10,  1916. 

Bulletin  Vol.  I,  No.  3,  Sept.  29,  1916. 

Bulletin  Vol.  I,  No.  4.  Oct.  1,  1916. 

Bulletin  No.  1.  Laws  of  Wisconsin  Relating  to  Vocational  Education.  Pub- 
lished in  1917. 

Bulletin  No.  2.  Plans  Concerning  the  Wisconsin  System  of  Vocational 
Training  Presented  to  the  Federal  Board  of  Vocational 
Education.  Published  in  1918. 

Bulletin  No.  3.  Wisconsin  Laws  Relating  to  Vocational  Education.  Pub- 

lished in  1919.* 

Bulletin  No.  4.  Wisconsin  Laws  Relating  to  Vocational  Education.  Pub- 

lished in  1921. 


♦ These  four  bulletins  were  published  under  Mr.  Glynn’s  direction.  These  are 
small  four  page  administrative  bulletins  of  information. 


Monograph  No.  1. 
Monograph  No.  2. 
Monograph  No.  3. 
Monograph  No.  4. 
Monograph  No.  5. 
Monograph  No.  6. 
Monograph  No.  7. 
Monograph  No.  8. 
Monograph  No.  9. 


Courses  of  Study. 
Courses  of  Study. 
Courses  of  Study. 
Courses  of  Study. 
Courses  of  Study. 
Courses  of  Study. 
Courses  of  Study. 
Courses  of  Study. 
Courses  of  Study. 


Machine  Shop  Practice.  (1919) 
Electricity.  (1919) 

Citizenship.  (1919) 

Sheet  Metal.  (1919) 

Teacher  Training.  (1919) 

Printing.  (1919) 

Telegraphy.  (1919) 
Cabinet-Making.  (1919) 

Foods  and  Related  Work.  (1920) 


* Bulletins  3 and  4 and  the  Monographs  were  prepared  and  published  under  Mr. 
Callahan’s  direction.  Bulletins  1 and  2 were  published  under  Mr.  Glynn’s  direction. 


ADMINISTRATION  OF  CONTINUATION  SCHOOLS' 


21 


CHAPTER  VI 

Local  Boards  of  Industrial  Education 

The  local  administration  of  the  continuation  school  is  vested  in  a Board 
of  Industrial  Education  consisting  of  the  City  Superintendent  of  Schools  and 
four  other  members — two  employers  and  two  employees.  The  appointive 
members  are  selected  for  terms  of  two  years  by  the  Board  of  Education, 
which  is  in  charge  of  the  elementary  and  high  schools  of  the  city.  The  pur- 
pose of  this  provision  is  to  keep  the  local  Board  of  Education  in  touch  with 
the  continuation  school.  This  power  of  appointment  gives  the  local  board 
of  education  a great  potential  influence  over  the  members  of  the  local  Board 
of  Industrial  Education.  The  fact  that  the  term  is  made  two  years  gives  the 
Board  of  Education  the  opportunity,  at  frequent  intervals,  of  reviewing 
the  work  of  the  members  of  the  local  Board  of  Industrial  Education.  Obvi- 
ously, this  provision  of  the  law  is  in  the  interest  of  the  cooperation  of 
these  two  public  educational  agencies  and  is  a safeguard  against  the  dualism 
of  educational  administration,  which  has  been  so  widely  heralded  by  the 
opponents  of  these  schools,  but  which  has  never  developed  in  fact  in  the 
locality. 


Defects  of  Organization  of  Boards  of  Industrial  Education 


It  may  be  said  here  frankly  that  the  Boards  of  Education  of  the  cities 
have  not  given  to  the  selection  of  the  members  of  the  local  Board  of  Indus- 
trial Education  the  serious  attention  that  this  opportunity  offers  them  for 
rendering  a public  service.  In  one  or  two  instances  the  Boards  of  Education 
have  failed  to  re-elect  the  members  of  Industrial  Education  biennially.* 1  Conse- 
quently and  naturally  the  old  members  continue.  It  may  be  said  that  this 
would  have  had  the  same  effect  of  re-electing  the  membership  of  the  Board 
of  Industrial  Education.  This  is  true,  but  the  Board  of  Education  should 
have  affirmatively  acted  as  a vote  of  confidence  or  otherwise  and  in  any  case 
have  reviewed  the  service  of  the  members  of  the  local  board  of  industrial 
education  as  a matter  of  plain  legal  requirement.  The  representative  char- 
acter of  the  Board  will  be  commented  on  more  fully  in  a later  section. 

In  a not  inconsiderable  number  of  cases  the  Board  of  Education  has  ap- 
pointed its  own  members  on  the  local  Board  of  Industrial  Education.  Only 
26  schools  reported  on  this  question  and  out  of  the  26,  15  reported  that  either 
at  present  or  at  some  time  in  the  past  there  had  been  on  the  local  board  of 
industrial  education  members  who  were  also  members  of  the  regular  board. i 
It  has  been  suggested  that  as  a matter  of  public  policy  it  is  not  wise  admin- 
istration nor  in  fact  in  conformity  with  the  law  to  have  a school  board 
appoint  from  its  own  membership  the  members  on  the  local  Board  of  Industrial 
Education  even  though  in  some  cases  these  members  have  been  among  the 

1 One  city  reported  that  members  of  local  boards  of  industrial  education  had 
“served  since  beginning-,  and  no  one  knows  when  terms  expire.” 

1Antigo  (2  members)  ; Green  Bay,  1;  Kaukauna,  2;  La  Crosse,  1;  Madison,  1; 
Menasha,  1 ; Menomonie,  1 ; North  Milwaukee,  1 ; Oshkosh,  1 ; Rhinelander,  1 ; South 
Milwaukee,  2 ; Stevens  Point,  2 ; Sheboygan,  7 ; Wausau,  1 ; Wisconsin  Rapids,  2. 


22 


ADMINISTRATION  OF  CONTINUATION  SCHOOLS 


most  valuable  on  these  boards.  While  it  may  be  felt  that  this  is  in  the 
interest  of  promoting  unity  of  action  it  is  not  in  accord  with  the  spirit  of 
the  law.  It  is  ordinarily  not  considered  sound  public  policy  for  an  appoin- 
tive officer  to  appoint  himself  to  public  office,  particularly  if  periodically  the 
action  of  such  appointee  is  to  be  reviewed.  The  Attorney  General  in  an 
opinion  says:  “The  local  Board  of  Education  has  ample  control  over  the 
local  Board  of  Industrial  Education  both  by  means  of  its  power  of  appoint- 
ment and  of  its  frequent  review  of  the  work  of  the  board  because  of  the 
short  term  of  office  of  members.” 

It  was  felt  desirable  that  some  name  should  be  given  to  this  board  in 
charge  of  the  continuation  schools  that  would  distinguish  it  from  the  ordi- 
nary Board  of  Education.  The  name  devised  in  the  first  law  and  continued 
since  is  the  “Local  Board  of  Industrial  Education.”  Unfortunately,  this 
name  has  tended  to  give  the  public  the  impression  that  the  continuation 
school  was  merely  a school  of  industrial  training,  and  that  it  was  not  in 
fact  to  continue  the  work  of  the  ordinary  public  school  along  educational 
as  well  as  vocational  lines.  In  the  amendment  of  the  Vocational  Educational 
law  in  1917  the  name  of  the  school  itself  was  changed  to  the  “vocational 
school.’’  The  city  of  Milwaukee,  on  the  other  hand,  in  all  its  official  sta- 
tionery has  referred  to  its  school  as  a “continuation  school.”  If  we  keep  in 
mind  the  purpose  of  this  school,  as  elsewhere  defined  in  this  report,  it  would 
seem  advisable  to  change  the  name  of  the  Board  as  well  as  the  school — the 
school  to  be  named  the  “Continuation  School”  and  the  Board  to  be  known  as 
the  “Continuation  School  Board.”  This  would  tend  more  to  establish  in  the 
public  mind  the  real  character  of  these  schools  than  the  present  unfortunate 
name. 

A question  has  been  raised  whether  a board  of  five  members  can  be  suffi- 
ciently representative  of  the  industrial  interests  in  the  larger  communities 
of  the  state.  If  the  continuation  school  cities  are  divided  into  cities  of  ten 
thousand  and  more  population,  and  cities  of  less  than  ten  thousand,  a good 
case  could  be  made  out  for  increasing  the  membership  of  boards  in  cities  of 
ten  thousand  population,  or  over.  With  the  rapidity  of  our  industrial  develop- 
ment and  the  variety  of  it  in  these  larger  cities  it  would  seem  to  be  wise 
at  this  time  to  increase  the  membership  of  boards  in  cities  of  ten  thousand 
population  or  over  to  at  least  seven  members.  If  this  were  done  the  term 
of  office  of  the  six  appointive  members  ought  to  be  increased  to  three  years 
with  one  from  each  group  appointed  annually. 

A Representative  Board  of  Industrial  Education. 

The  children  in  the  vocational  schools  are  in  industry  and  what  they  do 
in  the  continuation  school  must,  in  some  way,  relate  itself  directly  to  their 
industrial  occupation  whether  the  same  is  to  make  them  better  citizens  or 
better  workmen,  or  both.  The  teacher  in  the  vocational  school  is,  therefore, 
touching  rather  intimately  the  sphere  of  sensitive  industrial  relations  and  as 
a matter  of  safe-guarding  the  teacher  and  the  school  the  plan  of  having 
on  the  local  board  of  industrial  education  representatives  of  both  of  the 
interests  in  industry  was  devised.  Moreover,  it  was  felt  that  there  should 
be  available  to  the  educational  authorities  administering  the  continuation 


ADMINISTRATION  OF  CONTINUATION  SCHOOLS' 


23 


schools  the  best  judgment  available  from  among  the  employers  and  the 
employees  in  the  community.  By  this  means  there  is  thus  provided  a ready 
channel  of  communication  between  industry  and  the  school  that  is  dealing 
so  intimately  with  the  local  industrial  situation.  Suggestions  can  be  freely 
made  from  both  of  the  industrial  interests  to  the  school  by  means  of  this 
kind  of  a board  and  these  representatives — laboring  men  and  employers  can 
carry  to  their  respective  groups  a sympathetic  account  of  what  the  school  is 
trying  to  do,  of  the  difficulties  in  its  way  and  of  its  achievements. 

Unfortunately,  the  appointments  that  have  been  made  to  this  industrial 
board  of  education  have  not  been  made  with  any  sympathetic  understanding 
of  the  purposes  of  the  representation  of  the  industrial  interests  on  the  board. 
The  employers  that  have  been  appointed  on  the  board  have  been  representa- 
tive men  and  representative  employers.  For  some  reason  or  other  the  appoint- 
ment of  employees  on  this  board  has  not  been  representative  of  the  laboring 
group.  We  find  among  the  employee  members  the  following:  A minister, 
salesman,  shipping  clerk,  city  treasurer,  machinist,  bank  cashier,  foreman, 
factory  superintendent,  labor  organizer,  and  others.  In  one  city  we  find  a 
bank  cashier  representing  employees  and  in  another,  employers,  and  so  with 
foremen,  factory  superintendents,  and  other  executive  managerial  employees. i 

Investigation  shows  that  in  some  cases  these  executive  employees  are 
really  representing  the  point  of  view  of  labor,  in  others  they  are  not.  The 
explanation  of  this  situation  has  been  variously  stated.  In  some  places  it  is 
alleged  that  there  is  great  difficulty  in  finding  among  employees,  men  of 
sufficient  public  spirit  and  sense  of  responsibility  and  leadership  to  warrant 
their  appointment  to  this  important  position.  In  other  cases  it  is  alleged 
as  is  the  fact,  that  the  term  “employee”  and  the  term  “employer”  are  not 
defined  in  the  law  and  the  appointment  of  any  employee,  whether  manager 
or  otherwise,  meets  the  legal  requirement  even  though  it  may  not  be  in 
accord  with  the  spirit  of  the  law. 

Unfortunately,  moreover,  the  principal  industrial  interests  have  not,  to 
any  considerable  degree,  kept  in  touch  with  their  representatives  on  the 
local  board  of  industrial  education.  For  example,  local  labor  councils  have 
apparently  taken  little  interest  in  their  representatives,  have  not  followed 
up  the  work  of  the  appointees,  and  have  not  made  suggestions  to  them  except 
in  the  rarest  cases,  and  have  thus  lost  a great  opportunity  to  render  a de- 
cisive service  to  public  education.  The  State  Federation  of  Labor  itself  at 
its  last  convention  noted  this  situation.  The  Federation  in  its  investiga- 
tion of  the  school  system  made  the  following  significant  comment  in  their 
report : 

“The  replies  to  our  questions  concerning  the  degree  of  cooperation  be- 
tween the  labor  members  and  the  labor  groups  they  represent,  indicate  that 
in  many  places  too  little  interest  has  been  taken  by  labor  in  following  up 
the  work  of  their  representatives.  To  the  question,  ‘What  matters  con- 
cerning the  schools  have  the  labor  members  taken  up  with  the  Trades 
Council?’  The  usual  reply  was,  ‘None,  but  efforts  are  now  being  made.’ 

“This  is  unsatisfactory  for  the  present  but  hopeful  for  the  future.  Some 
replies,  on  the  other  hand,  are  very  encouraging  in  that  they  indicate  that 
wherever  there  is  a real  representation  of  labor,  and  active  cooperation 
the  accomplishments  speak  for  themselves.  The  Manitowoc  committee,  for 
example,  reports  such  activities  as:  Securing  the  substitution  of  two  men 


» See  Chapter  IV,  The  Present  Situation  in  the  Wisconsin  Continuation  Schools. 


24 


ADMINISTRATION  OF  CONTINUATION  SCHOOLS' 


representing  labor;  centralizing  the  purchase  of  all  school  supplies  in  the 
representing  labor  on  the  board  of  vocational  education  in  place  of  two  not 
secretary  of  the  board  of  education;  changing  the  system  of  purchasing 
fuel;  securing  the  substantial  increase  of  wages  for  the  teachers.  Many  of 
their  recommendations  for  future  development  of  the  schools  have  been  em- 
bodied in  this  report. 

“What  we  need  now  is  that  the  Education  Committee  of  every  Trades 
Council  shall  offer  their  services  to  the  labor  representatives  on  the  local 
board,  shall  discuss  policies  with  them,  shall  see  that  the  labor  representa- 
tives have  a chance  to  present  important  problems  to  the  whole  Trades 
Council  or  to  their  local  unions,  and  shall  suggest  such  changes  as  they  deem 
necessary. 

“Likewise  the  labor  representatives  on  the  various  boards  should  not  try 
to  stand  alone.  They  should  take  back  to  the  groups  they  represent  the 
questions  which  are  of  concern  to  the  whole  body  of  labor.’’  (1920  Conven- 
tion Proceedings — The  Wisconsin  State  Federation  of  Labor,  p.  137.) 


How  Shall  Boards  be  Made  Representative 

The  situation  with  reference  to  the  representative  character  of  the  local 
beards  of  industrial  education  caused  Mr.  Callahan,  the  director  of  vocational 
schools  of  the  state,  to  request  the  Attorney  General  for  an  interpretation 
of  the  words  “employers’’  and  “employees”  as  used  in  the  vocational  law. 
The  Attorney  General  writes  an  exhaustive  opinion.  He  says:  “The  general 
scheme  of  the  law  is  also  to  provide  for  the  conduct  of  those  schools  by  a 
board  made  up  locally  of  those  directly  interested  and  affected  by  industrial 
and  vocational  training.  That  being  the  general  scheme  of  the  law,  the  words 
‘employers’  and  ‘employees’  must  be  interpreted  with  respect  to  the  purpose 
of  the  act.”  In  terms  of  this  statement  of  the  purpose  of  the  law  he  defines 
“employer”  in  the  following  language: 

“The  -intent  and  spirit  of  the  law  requires  that  two  members  of  the  local 
board  be  employers,  and  in  my  opinion  they  should  be  employers  in  the  voca- 
tional and  industrial  establishments  in  the  locality,  and  not  employers  gen- 
erally.” 

The  word  “employee”  is  defined  in  the  following  language: 

“It  is  likewise  my  opinion  that  the  two  employes  of  the  local  board  should 
be  employes  who  are  engaged  in  practical  employment  in  the  vocational  or 
industrial  institutions  of  the  locality,  and  not  employes  generally.  The  word 
‘employees’  as  used  in  the  vocational  law,  if  not  according  to  the  spirit  of 
the  law,  excludes  officers,  superintendents,  and  responsible  directors  of  voca- 
tional or  industrial  establishments  from  a position  on  the  local  board. 

“A  person  who  is  cashier  of  a bank  is,  in  a broad  sense,  an  employe,  but  he 
is  not  that  kind  of  an  employe  who  is  eligible  to  the  position  on  the  local 
board,  for  the  reason  that  his  employment  has  nothing  to  do  with  either  the 
vocational  or  industrial  institutions  of  the  locality.  A foreman  and  a stock- 
holder of  an  industrial  plant  might  likewise,  in  the  broad  sense,  be  an  em- 
ploye, but  he  is  not  an  employe  under  the  terms  of  this  act  with  respect  to 
the  vocational  and  industrial  institutions.  Neither  is  an  officer  of  a com- 
pany, nor  the  responsible  manager  of  a copartnership  an  employe  within 
the  terms  of  the  vocational  act.  An  employe  within  the  terms  of  that  act 
refers  to  a man  who  is  engaged  in  the  practical  work  in  the  vocational  or 
industrial  institutions  of  the  locality  where  the  school  is  established.” 

The  State  Director  of  Vocational  Schools  also  asked  how  local  communi- 
ties may  be  compelled  to  comply  with  the  intent  and  spirit  of  the  Voca- 
tional Law  on  this  point  of  a representative  local  board.  The  Attorney 
General  points  out  that  ordinarily  the  state  is  not  interested  in  local  boards 


ADMINISTRATION  OF  CONTINUATION  SCHOOLS' 


25 


performing  duties  concerning  local  matters,  but  the  local  vocational  boards 
are  more  than  mere  local  boards  and  they,  in  part,  represent  the  state,  and 
therefore  the  state  is  interested  to  the  extent  at  least  of  the  appropriation 
made  to  a vocational  school  as  well  as  in  the  proper  conduct  of  such  schools. 
Without  attempting  to  decide  the  question  asked,  the  Attorney  General  sug- 
gests that  state  aid  might  be  withheld  by  the  State  Board  of  Vocational 
Education  in  accordance  with  the  statutory  provisions  for  distribution  of 
state  aid. 

The  City  Superintendent  on  the  Local  Board  of  Industrial  Education 

The  local  board  of  industrial  education  is  organized  on  the  basis  of  coopera- 
tion between  the  education  and  economic  forces  of  the  community,  including 
both  labor  and  capital.  We  have  elsewhere  described  the  economic  forces  in 
the  local  board  of  industrial  education.  It  remains  to  say  a word  about  the 
educational. 

The  city  superintendent  of  schools  is  ex-officio  a member  of  the  local 
board  of  industrial  education.  As  such  he  occupies  the  same  position  with 
respect  to  the  local  director  which  the  members  of  the  regular  school  board 
occupy  with  respect  to  him.  The  legal  theory  underlying  the  organization 
of  boards  of  education  is  that,  as  individuals,  members  of  boards  of  educa- 
tion have  no  power.  They  have  power  only  when  called  together  in  accord- 
ance with  law,  and  acting  collectively.  Their  judgment,  as  thus  expressed, 
is  to  be  carried  out  by  the  executive  officer.  In  the  case  of  the  continuation 
schools,  the  executive  officer  is  the  director  of  the  vocational  schools.  The 
city  superintendent  of  schools  has,  therefore,  legally  no  more  power  over 
the  vocational  schools  than  has  any  other  member  of  the  local  board  of  in- 
dustrial education. 

A few  city  superintendents  have  failed  to  realize  this.  These  have  con- 
fused their  regular  administrative  work  as  city  superintendents  with  their 
duties  as  members  of  the  local  boards  of  industrial  education.  On  the  other 
hand,  complaint  is  made,  apparently  justly,  that  a few  city  school  superin- 
tendents are  not  doing  their  duty  as  regular  board  members  on  the  local 
industrial  board — that  their  presence  on  the  local  board  actually  works 
against  the  proper  development  of  the  school.  Where  this  is  true,  it  is  due 
usually  to  one  of  two  causes.  It  may  be  due,  first,  to  over-conscientiousness 
on  the  part  of  the  superintendent  in  not  wanting  to  interfere  with  the  work  of 
the  director  of  the  continuation  schools.  It  may  be  due,  on  the  other  hand, 
to  skepticism  or  even  positive  antagonism  toward  the  work  of  the  continua- 
tion schools;  toward  the  principle  of  supplying  flexible  part  time  educational 
opportunities  to  employed  minors,  and  toward  the  principle  of  separate  admin- 
istration of  these  schools  by  representative  boards.  Membership  on  the  local 
board  has  placed  in  a very  embarrassing  position  some  of  these  superin- 
tendents who  are  avowedly  hostile  to  the  system,  and  it  is  readily  conceiv- 
able that  it  is  difficult  for  some  of  them,  as  board  members,  to  work  whole- 
heartedly for  the  success  of  an  institution  to  which  they  are  fundamentally 
opposed.  In  one  or  two  cases,  superintendents  so  disposed  have  laid  them- 
selves open  to  the  suspicion  of  using  their  influence  and  their  vote  to  retain 
on  their  jobs  directors  who  are  obviously  inefficient. 


26 


ADMINISTRATION  OF  CONTINUATION  SCHOOLS 


This  attitude  of  these  few  superintendents  needs  to  be  mentioned  here 
in  order  to  make  clear  the  apparent  failure,  in  some  communities,  of  the  repnj, 
sentative,  cooperative  system  of  administering  the  continuation  schools.  It 
should  not  be  over-emphasized,  however.  The  number  of  superintendents 
who  can  justly  be  complained  of  on  this  score  is  fortunately  .small.  There 
are,  on  the  other  hand,  superintendents  who  are  using  all  their  prestige  and 
influence  on  the  board  for  the  proper  upbuildings  of  the  continuation  schools. 
The  history  of  the  promotion  and  development  of  many  of  our  part  time 
schools  is  evidence  that  we  have  superintendents  who  see  in  the  development 
of  part  time  education  and  of  vocational  education  under  representative 
control  not  a rival  of  the  regular  full  time  schools,  but  a much  needed  exten- 
sion of  educational  opportunities  to  those  to  whom  the  full  time  schools  can- 
not minister.  We  can  hope  that  the  time  is  not  far  distant  when  every 
superintendent  will  accept  cheerfully  his  full  share  of  the  responsibility  of 
membership  on  the  local  board  of  industrial  education  and  will  become  an 
important  factor  in  promoting  the  growth  of  these  schools  and  in  helping 
the  community  to  understand  them  and  the  reasons  for  the  separate  ad- 
ministration of  them. 


Recommendations 

This  series  of  facts  lead  to  the  following  recommendations  for  the  Im- 
provement of  local  boards  of  industrial  education  and  for  securing  better 

service  from  them: 

1.  The  local  board  of  industrial  education  should  be  known  as  “The  Con- 
tinuation School  Board.” 

2.  In  cities  of  ten  thousand  population,  or  over,  the  continuation  school 
board  should  consist  of  seven  members  and  in  cities  of  less  than  ten 
thousand  population,  of  five  members  as  at  present. 

3.  In  cities  over  ten  thousand  population  the  term  of  office  on  the  con- 
tinuation school  board  should  be  three  years  with  the  annual  expira- 
tion of  the  term  of  office  of  one  employer  and  one  employee. 

4.  In  cities  under  ten  thousand  population  the  term  of  office  should  be, 
as  at  present,  two  years,  with  the  annual  expiration  of  the  term  of 
office  of  one  employer  and  one  employee. 

5.  The  Vocational  School  Law  should  be  amended  along  the  lines  of  the 
Attorney  General’s  opinion  with  reference  to  the  meaning  of  the  terms 
“employee”  and  “employer.” 

6.  The  local  appointing  authority  should  seek  the  advice  and  suggestions 
of  local  labor  and  employer  organizations,  or  associations,  before  mak- 
ing appointments  to  the  local  continuation  school  board.  This  would 
help  to  make  these  boards  in  fact  representative. 

7.  Local  labor  and  employer  organizations  should  keep  in  touch  with  the 
representatives  on  the  continuation  school  board,  furnish  suggestions 
and  seek  from  the  members  of  the  board  an  account  of  their  steward- 
ship. 

8.  The  State  Board  of  Vocational  Education  should  refuse  to  allow  any 
state  aid  for  continuation  schools  or  recommend  federal  aid  for  any 
city  whose  continuation  school  board  is  not  in  fact  representative. 


THE  PRINCIPLES  AT  THE  BASIS  OF  A PUBLIC 
EDUCATIONAL  PROGRAM 


The  public  educational  program  proposed  by  the  State  Board  of 
Education  is  based  on  the  following  principles : 

1.  The  welfare  of  every  child  is  a primary  concern  of  the  State. 

2.  The  State  exists  for  the  welfare  of  its  citizens.  It  is  a means 
to  an  end. 

3.  The  duty  of  the  State  to  require  a minimum  of  education  in 
the  interest  of  its  own  security  and  progress. 

4.  The  right  of  the  State  to  provide  comprehensive  state-wide 
educational  facilities  of  every  grade  of  education  open  on 
equal  terms  to  all  citizens. 

5.  The  right  of  the  State  to  tax  all  the  property,  including  the 
income  or  inheritance  of  people  to  support  and  maintain  a 
public  educational  system. 

6.  Equality  of  educational  opportunity  everywhere  in  the  State. 
Wherever  the  State  permits  a community  to  organize  a public 
school,  it  shall  see  that  the  community  is  able  to  provide,  with 
State  aid,  if  necessary,  adequate  educational  facilities. 

7.  The  organization  of  educational  and  taxation  units  large 
enough  to  adequately  finance  and  furnish  at  least  that  mini- 
mum of  education,  which  the  State  regards  as  necessary  to  its 
continued  existence,  in  order  that  it  may  achieve  its  public  wel- 
fare purposes. 

8.  The  duty  of  educational  institutions,  in  accordance  with  a 
State  plan,  to  serve  the  State  by  informing  the  citizenship,  by 
furnishing  trained,  socially  minded  men,  for  the  trades,  pro- 
fessions and  particularly  the  public  service,  by  research  in  the 
great  problems  of  our  industrial  and  social  life  today  calling 
for  solution. 


— Edward  A.  Fitzpatrick. 


No  wind  serves  him  who  has  no  destined  port 


Unity 

through 

Cooperation 

STATE  BOARD  OF  EDUCATION 
MADISON,  WISCONSIN 


THE  STATE  BOARD  OF  EDUCATION  IS  A MEANS  FOR  SECURING 
A CONSTRUCTIVE  COOPERATIVE  SERVICE  FROM  ALL  THE  STATE’S 
EDUCATIONAL  AGENCIES. 


